In June 2026, Europol reported that a major cryptocurrency laundering service known as "AudiA6" was dismantled in an international law enforcement operation. The service was used by ransomware groups and cybercriminal networks to launder stolen digital assets while obscuring financial trails. It is suspected of having laundered over €336 million from 2022 to 2025. The individuals behind "AudiA6" are also believed to have administered the dark web forum "Dark2Web", a marketplace used to advertise illicit services and facilitate contact between criminal actors.

Clients of "AudiA6" transferred cryptocurrency to wallets controlled by the group and received "cleaned" funds within approximately one hour through layered transactions designed to obscure the origin of the funds, while commissions were requested ranging between three and ten percent.

On 10 June 2026, a coordinated action resulted in the arrest of two alleged administrators, the search of three properties, the takedown of 25 domains, as well as the seizure of more than 30 servers, over 80 vehicles, multiple properties, and over €86,000. Law enforcement freezed €692,000 in cryptocurrency. The clear web and dark web sites of "AudiA6" and "Dark2Web" were replaced with seizure banners. More than 6000 Know Your Customer (KYC) records linked to mule accounts were identified. In addition, the investigators identified a number of further domains that will be subject to blocking measures.

The case reflects an emerging trend identified in Europol assessments: the rise of industrial-scale cryptocurrency laundering services powering the cybercrime economy. Ransomware groups increasingly rely on chain-hopping, decentralised exchanges, and mixer-type services to obscure transaction flows and rapidly move illicit funds. The use of fraudulent exchange accounts, mule wallets, and privacy-enhancing tools continues to complicate anti-money laundering efforts, contributing to the integration of laundering services into the cybercrime supply chain.

To delve deeper into these evolving threats, Europol is organising a series of webinars dedicated to cybercrime trends. Further details and registration information can be found here.